SEMINAR SESSION:MICRO IRRIGATION(DRIP SPRINKLER ETC)

EFFECT OF DRIP IRRIGATION AND MULCH ON SOIL HYDRO-THERMAL REGIMES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF APPLE (Malus Domestica Borkh) cv. Oregon Spur)

Dr. J.N.RAINA PROFESSOR AND HEAD (SOILS)

DEPARTMENT OF SOIL SCIENCE &WATER MANAGEMENTDR.Y.S.PARMAR UNIV.OF HORTICULTURE &FORESTRY

NAUNI (SOLAN) HP 173230

INTRODUCTION

DRIP IRRIGATION : MOST EFFICIENT TECHNOLOGY-FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS HIMALAYAN REGION MULCH : IN-SITU MOISTURE CONSERVATION :TEMPERATURE MODERATION : WEED CONTROL HORTICULTURE: MAIN ECONOMY OF HILL FARMERS- APPLE -NW HIMALAYAN REGION CONSEQUENCES OF DRIP IRRIGATION ESPECIALLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH MULCH IN APPLE.

TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF DRIP IRRIGATION & MULCH ON SOIL HYDRO-THERMAL REGIMES AND PRODUCTIVITY OF APPLE  

OBJECTIVES

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DECRA

INFA

LL /

EVA

POR

ATIO

N

MONTH

CLIMATIC WATER BALANCE )R.F.mm

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Water deficit period

Water deficit period

Location-Material and Methods and observations

Field trials on apple were executed during 2010-2011 at Rohru (Shimla),located at an altitude of 1720 m amsl .Three drip irrigation levels equals to 100, 80 and 60 per cent of ETc were tried both , with and without mulch and were compared with conventional surface irrigation and rainfed condition. Irrigations were commenced w.e.f 15th March every year and continued till end June.

“V” VOLUME OF WATER EQUALL TO 100 % ETC WAS COMPUTED USING FARMULA V=∑ (Ep x Kc x Kp x CF – Re x Ax N) where, V is the volume of water as litres/treemulching with black polyethylene sheet of 100 micron thicknessSoil moisture was determined gravimetrically taking soil samples at 0, 15, 30 and 45 cm horizontal distance from the at 0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-40 and 40-50 cm soil depth. Soil temperature was recorded under at weekly intervals. The data on trunk girth, tree height, annual shoot growth (ASG) and tree spread was recorded before execution and after termination of experiment and expressed as increase over initial values. Fruit yield was recorded following standard procedures.

An over view of the experimental orchard

Spatial soil moisture distribution pattern under drip and Surface irrigation

15 30 45 600-10

10 -20

20 -30

30 -40

40 -50

20-25

15-20

10-15

5-10

0-5

1530

4560

0-10

10-20

20-30

30-40

40-50

20-25

15-2010-15

5-100-5So

il de

pth

(cm

)

Distance from tree trunk

Soil moisture zones (% )

Drip Irrigation Surface Irrigation

Soil moisture under different treatments

0 5 10 15 20 25

0-10

10 -20

20 -30

30 -40

40 -50

Soil moisture (%)

Soil depth (cm)

DI-M0

DI-M1

SI-M0

SI-M1

RF-M0

RF-M1

0 5 10 15 20 25

0-10

10 -20

20 -30

30 -40

40 -50

Soil moisture (%)

DI-100-M0

DI-100-M1

DI-80-M0

DI-80-M1

DI-60-M0

DI-60-M1

Soil moisture content under drip irrigation remained higher in the upper soil layers (0-30 cm) whereas, under conventional surface irrigation, deeper soil layers registered higher moisture content.

Application of plastic mulch was effective in conserving the soil moisture and resulted in 2-4 per cent unit higher soil moisture especially, in 0-30 cm depth compared to unmulched condition

9.4

14.518.6

21.6 22.9

12.5

17.721.7 23.2 24.2

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Greentip-pink bud

Flowering and fruit set

Walnut stage Fruit devp.stage

Pre-harvest fruit devp

stage

Tem

pera

ture

(oC

)

Growth stage

without mulch With mulch

Minimum soil temperature

Considering the average values for entire growing season, application of black polyethylene mulch (irrespective of treatment), raised the minimum soil temperature by 2.5 oC over unmulched conditions however, it failed to alter the maximum soil temperature appreciably

Average minimum and maximum soil temperature (oC)

8.4

21.1

11.0 10.49.0

1.2 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.3

0

5

10

15

20

25

RF SI DI-100 DI-80 Di-60

Wee

d po

pula

tion

(cou

nt m

-2)

M0 M1

Weed population under irrigation treatments

Irrigation levels

Increase over initial status (cm) Yield(t ha-1) Fruit dia.

(cm)Fruit weight

(g)ASG Tree height Tree spread

M0 M1 M0 M1 M0 M1 M0 M1 M0 M1 M0 M1

I0 RF 19.9 22.7 20.7 23.522.1 24.9

7.0 7.2 5.1 5.2 79.2 82.8

I1 SI 34.8 39.8 38.6 43.939.8 44.6

10.3 11.2 6.4 7.1 105.7 116.0

I2DI 100 % ETC 41.4 42.8 45.5 46.947.0 47.2

12.1 12.2 7.1 7.2 116.5 116.7

I3 DI 80 % ETC 31.5 38.4 35.6 42.533.2 41.7

9.4 11.3 6.4 6.9 104.8 114.5

I4DI 80 % ETC 21.6 30.4 24.9 34.524.2 33.7

7.5 9.3 5.4 6.6 88.0 103.7

CD 0.05 6.56 6.51 5.73 1.85 0.71 9.50

Table :Effect of drip irrigation on tree growth, yield and quality of apple

•SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT UNDER DRIP IRRIGATION REMAINED HIGHER IN THE UPPER SOIL LAYERS (0-30 CM) WHEREAS, UNDER CONVENTIONAL SURFACE IRRIGATION, DEEPER SOIL LAYERS REGISTERED HIGHER MOISTURE CONTENT.•MOISTURE DISTRIBUTION UNDER DRIP FOLLOWED THREE DIMENSIONAL MOVEMENTS COVERING VERTICAL, LATERAL AND DIAGONAL DIRECTIONS. THE WETTING FRONT EXTENDED UP TO 45 CM HORIZONTALLY HOWEVER, THE MAXIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT REMAINED CONFINED NEAR THE EMITTING POINT•APPLICATION OF BLACK PM RESULTED IN 2-4 PER CENT UNIT HIGHER SOIL MOISTURE COMPARED TO UNMULCHED CONDITION. •MULCH RAISED THE MINIMUM SOIL TEMPERATURE BY 2.5 OC, WHEREAS, IT FAILED TO ALTER THE MAXIMUM SOIL TEMPERATURE APPRECIABLY. •DRIP IRRIGATION RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER TREE GROWTH, YIELD AND QUALITY OF APPLE, COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL PRACTICES. •STUDIES REVEALED 25 PER CENT WATER SAVINGS IN DRIP ALONE AND 40 PER CENT IN DRIP IRRIGATION PLUS MULCH COMPARED TO SURFACE IRRIGATION BESIDES 13 PER CENT HIGHER FRUIT YIELD.